Just a Man
by TexA55Toast
Summary: The Lone Wander is just like anyone else. He's just trying to save what he loves most. (Strong Language, Violence, Gore, maybe Sex...you know life in the Wastes)


Howdy. I don't own shit. Please don't sue me…you won't get much anyways. Also, this is rated M for a reason. If you can take it like it is you can go back to you MLP and your starbucks, ya jags. Also, if I happen to leave out some details about a character or their description isn't the best, it's because I assume you readers have played Fallout before and know what I'm talking about (if not see above line concerning 'jags').

Rate and review please ^^

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They say war never changes and that is simply not true. War is more than just killing; there are many intricate cogs and wheels that make this particular machine whirl. There are the Why's and the How's but the Who will always stay the same. The constant in every war is people. People will always fight and die for their beliefs; for greed and want to love and loyalty people will kill. Wars will come and go, the methods of killing, the tactics, the weapons, it all will pass and change. But people? They will always be there; ready to do what they have always done. This brings us, dear readers, to our little narrative. What makes our protagonist so special? Why tell his story over those of others? Is he a grand and virtuous hero, an infamous villain, or man awash in the moral gray? No. We hear his tale because he is the story of man. The story of us all: the struggle to protect what we love.

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Ike had grown up like any other kid in Vault 101. He even looked fairly average as well: brown hair and eyes, with no births marks or other identifying features. He played baseball in the Atrium, he dealt with Butch and the other Tunnel Snakes, he played hide and seek with his best friend Amata, and he completely disagreed with the G.O.A.T's assessment that he would become a fry cook. He was unique in several regards: Ike's father was the Vault's head scientist, he practiced every day with his BB gun on his secret firing range, and he had grown up in the cold metal corridors without his mother. On the whole though, compared to other children that had grown up in the Vault, Ike was fairly normal. And just like most normal kids, he awoke one day to find his entire life completely and utterly destroyed.

Vault 101: Ike's family living quarters. Approximately 5:00am.

"Wake up! Come you have to wake up!" Ike's eyes flew open and he sat bolt, upright on his bed. What he had thought to be a dream turned out to be his closest friend Amata shaking and yelling him awake. "Hey Amata," he said sleepily, "I was just dreaming about you….." She responded by smacking him in the head, "Don't be a smart mouth! This is serious, you have to go now!" The look of fear in her eyes instantly sobered him and Ike swung his legs off of the bed, "What the hell is going on? Did something happen?"

Amata took a few steps back, leaned against the wall, and drew in a breath. "I'm not sure how but your father opened the door and left the Vault. Some Radroaches got in and the whole place went into lockdown." He hands began to tremble as she quietly prepared herself to speak, "….the guards knew Jonas help your father escape and they got rough with him…he was beaten to death right there in the lab….I walked in on my father and his guards interrogating him."

Ike put his head in his hands and tried his best not to scream. How could this happen? Was this a dream? No. He was awake. He was definitely awake. He looked up at Amata, "So my dad flew the coup, Jonas has been beaten to death, and there are roaches all over the Vault." He took in a deep breath and jokingly asked, "Am I missing anything else?"

Amata pulled a 10mm pistol from the back of her vault suit, "The guards are coming for you so they can…..interrogate…..you like Jonas. I stole this from my father's night stand." She blinked away a tear, "Only use it if you have to O.K.?" Amata held out the pistol butt first and offered it to Ike.

Ike slowly reached forward and grasped the weapon. It felt a lot heavier than his BB gun. "Guess you have a plan then?" It was the only words he could think to say to her. If he tried to say anymore he might just puke. Amata stepped forward and put her hand on his shoulder, "Just get to the door and I'll meet you there." Ike stood up and gave her a hug, "Be safe." Amata hugged him back before she slipped out the pneumatic door.

Ike staggered and pressed his head against the cool steel wall. He was going to die. Dear god he was going to die. NO. No, he would be fine. He looked around his room. He grabbed his back pack off the floor and dumped his books. Ripping out the dresser drawers he stuffed his extra vault suits into his pack. Next he emptied his small medicine cabinet and prayed he wouldn't have to use any of its contents. Finally he snatched his ball cap and bat off of his table; he decided to leave his BB gun behind…that wouldn't hurt anything bigger than a roach.

Gripping his bat tight, Ike stepped out of his quarters. Now he only hat to avoid... "Stop right there!" …the guards. Ike turned to his right to see a security officer pull out his baton. Just as he was about to step toward Ike a brown blur crashed into his knee. The officer cried out as he was swarmed by Radroaches. Ike took the opportunity to sprint down the corridor away from the melee. Shit, shit, shit, shit!

A stocky blond in a black leather jacket collided with Ike just as he rounded a bend. "Hi Butch, what brings you around here? If you don't mind, I'm busy fleeing for my life." Ike wasn't sure where the joke had come from, it was far from appropriate, maybe this was how he dealt with stress? Butch sat up and grabbed Ike by the shoulders, "You gotta help me! My mom…roaches….its dark…." Butch was stuttering and his eyes darted wildly around.

This was the stuff Ike's childhood dreams were made of: Butch crying, pleading, it was all so priceless! All he had to do was walk away. Just get up and walk away. Just leave him there…crying in the dark….. Ike stood up, "Come on Butch, let's go help your mom."

A short jaunt later the unlikely duo found themselves in Butch's family quarters….empty vodka bottles littering the floor. The pneumatic door swooshed open to reveal Ellen DeLoria in the fetal position being bitten by three roaches. Ike had killed roaches with his BB gun before but he never beat one to death before…he could use the pistol…no, he'd end up shooting Butch's mom. The bat made an odd noise as it connected with the roach. It sounded like a mixture of a plate breaking and rotten piece of fruit being squished. Two more swings and the roaches were dead; just smears on the rug.

Ike turned to leave, the officer made have caught up to him by now. "Wait!" Butch shoved his jacket into Ike's chest, "Take it, you're a tunnel snake now." Ike looked into Butch's eyes and saw something he thought he'd never see: gratitude. Pulled on the jacket and looked over at Butch and gave him a shit-eating grin, "I already lost both my parents….you're already fucked up enough." He took off down the corridors and made it for the Atrium.

He couldn't believe himself. He actually helped Butch…well he helped Butch's mom. What really surprised him was how easy it was to kill those Radroaches. His BB gun always took three or four shots to kill…he was shoved into the stairs of the Atrium. He looked up to see the security officer from earlier raise his baton over his head. Guess the officer was pretty good at bashing roaches.

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Alright guys and gals, tell me how I did.


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